Consumer electronics requirements demand more integrated circuits in an integrated circuit package while paradoxically providing less physical space in the system for the increased integrated circuits content. Cost reduction is a continuous requirement. Some technologies primarily focus on integrating more functions into each integrated circuit. Other technologies focus on stacking these integrated circuits into a single package. While these approaches provide more functions within an integrated circuit, they do not fully address the requirements for lower height, smaller space, and cost reduction.
Modern consumer electronics, such as smart phones, personal digital assistants, and location based services devices, are packing more integrated circuits into an ever shrinking physical space with expectations for decreasing cost. Contemporary consumer electronics expose integrated circuits and packages to more demanding and sometimes new environmental conditions, such as cold, heat, and humidity. Numerous technologies have been developed to meet these requirements. Some of the research and development strategies focus on new package technologies while others focus on improving the existing and mature package technologies. Research and development in the existing package technologies may take a myriad of different directions.
One proven way to reduce cost is to use mature package technologies with existing manufacturing methods and equipments. Paradoxically, the reuse of existing manufacturing processes does not typically result in the reduction of package dimensions. Existing packaging technologies struggle to cost effectively meet the ever demanding environmental conditions today's integrated circuits and packages must endure.
Thus, a need still remains for an integrated circuit package system providing low cost manufacturing, improved environmental performance, and reduce the integrated circuit package dimensions. In view of the ever-increasing need to save costs and improve efficiencies, it is more and more critical that answers be found to these problems.
Solutions to these problems have been long sought but prior developments have not taught or suggested any solutions and, thus, solutions to these problems have long eluded those skilled in the art.